True fleet safety doesn’t start behind the wheel — it starts with smart decisions from the top. These eight fleet safety tips can help protect your team, your vehicles, and your bottom line on every drive.
- Perform routine vehicle maintenance. Staying on top of routine maintenance is one of the most effective ways to prevent accidents and reduce costly downtime. Create a schedule for oil changes, tire rotations, brake checks, and inspections. Keeping detailed service records helps ensure no vehicle misses a check up and may even support insurance claims or audits down the road.
- Screen all drivers. Make sure you’re putting the right people behind the wheel for your business. Conduct thorough background checks and additional testing, where appropriate. Verify all driver certifications and review their past driving history.
- Create a training playbook. Set your drivers up for success so they’re prepared for any situation behind the wheel. A comprehensive training playbook can include things like defensive driving tips, what to do/who to contact in an emergency, load securing protocol, seasonal hazards, vehicle inspection notes, and distracted driving rules.
- Install dashboard cameras. Having footage can help provide clarity in the event of an accident or insurance dispute. As an added bonus, many fleet owners find that having dashcams in company vehicles encourages safer driving habits.
- Implement telematics. Telematics devices can help business owners monitor things like vehicle speed, idling time, and fuel usage within a single device. They offer insight to help you optimize drives, but they’re also great for safety, delivering powerful benefits like 45% fewer vehicle accidents, 75% reduction in speeding events, and 80% reduction in aggressive driving, including hard braking, hard cornering, sustained speeding, and sudden acceleration
- Create a safe driving contract. A safe driving contract helps formalize your expectations and ensures drivers are held accountable. It should outline rules around speeding, seat belt use, phone restrictions, and what happens in the event of a violation. Having drivers sign it adds an extra layer of accountability and shows your commitment to safety from the top down.
- Incentivize safe driving. While not needed, rewarding safe driving can go a long way. Consider bonuses, gift cards, or even extra time off. Encouraging safe driving can help build morale and reduce costly claims.
- Review your commercial auto coverage. With comprehensive commercial auto insurance, your business can operate with more peace of mind. As your fleet grows or your operations change, your insurance needs can shift, too. Make it a habit to review your commercial auto policy at least once a year, or any time you add vehicles, hire more drivers, or expand your footprint.
Fleet safety is a crucial step for business owners today. Start small with even one of these fleet safety tips, then see how you can continue to improve your operations for maximum protection and savings. Talk to a local, independent agent for added support.
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